Explore the vibrant journey of human creativity and innovation, showcasing the remarkable achievements that have shaped our world. The book highlights various inventions and ideas, illustrating how they reflect the diverse aspects of human experience. Through engaging narratives and vivid illustrations, readers are invited to appreciate the beauty and complexity of ingenuity across different cultures and time periods.
Mary Virginia Orna Books



Chemistry and Chemists in Florence
From the Last of the Medici Family to the European Magnetic Resonance Center
- 136 pages
- 5 hours of reading
Focusing on the evolution of chemistry in Florence, the book highlights the contributions of notable figures like Galileo Galilei and later chemists such as Hugo Schiff and Luigi Rolla. It explores the transformation of chemistry from an applied science in the Middle Ages, vital to the textile dyeing industry, to its establishment as a formal discipline. The narrative also details the role of the Medici family in fostering scientific collections that became museums, alongside the development of the Royal University of Florence into the University of Florence, making it a rich resource for historians and chemists alike.
The chemical history of color
- 153 pages
- 6 hours of reading
In this brief, Mary Virginia Orna details the history of color from the chemical point of view. Beginning with the first recorded uses of color and ending in the development of our modern chemical industry, this rich, yet concise exposition shows us how color pervades every aspect of our lives. Our consciousness, our perceptions, our useful appliances and tools, our playthings, our entertainment, our health, and our diagnostic apparatus – all involve color and are based in no small part on chemistry.